“You haven’t seen anything scary or spooky,” said Nelson. “Life is, I think, scary enough without making it scarier.”

It takes quite a process to get the Pumpkin Chucker Flinger Thinger locked and loaded, which is why it only goes off twice a day.

But when it does, it gets quite a reaction.

“I think it’s the whole action,” said Nelson, “because it only takes between six and seven seconds and it’s all over with. But when it’s all over with, I’ve watched the crowd. They just stand there in awe.”

The Pumpkin Patch Festival takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at the Nelson Farm, through Oct. 30.

But they’re adding a couple of days during teacher conferences, on Oct. 20 and 21.